The 2024 election cycle is in full swing and with its return, you can be sure that many other things will follow.
Arguments at the dinner table, irate messages on Facebook and a general increase in blood pressure are all on the way for many households.
In addition, endless television commercials, flyers in your mailbox, emails and many candidate ads popping up in your internet browser can be expected.
We will be covering elections on our pages as well, focusing on local races and general information about regional and national races.
For years, folks have made their views known about many things on our opinion pages. Our local readers have written on several issues over the years, ranging from abortion to fluoridation to immigration to civil, worker’s and religious rights.
We welcome the civil discourse on a wide variety of issues on our pages but recognized political campaigns were using our letters section to get the word out about their cause or candidate. The campaigns were able to do this and save their marketing budgets for other forms of media, leveraging news coverage to reach their target market — you.
Will we still publish letters complaining about the actions of the school board or city council?
Sure will! But if you want others to vote for or against someone, or for or against a ballot issue, you will now need to pre-pay a fee. Not a large fee: $25 for up to 250 words, a dime a word for anything over the 250-word limit.
If you feel passionate about your cause or candidate, $25 for a letter shouldn’t be a hardship.
Here is the official policy regarding paid endorsement letters to the editor:
Paid endorsement letter policy
We accept election letters endorsing or advocating for or against a ballot measure, party or candidate as paid advertising announcements.
The fee starts at $25 for a 250-word letter, plus 10 cents a word for every additional word over 250. Like other letters to the editor, the writer’s name, address and phone number are required. Phone numbers are not published. We retain the right to reject letters that don’t meet publishing standards and will determine if the letter qualifies as a paid endorsement. Paid letters will be identified with a label and may or may not appear on the opinion/letters page.
If you have questions or concerns, drop me a line. I am happy to help.
And, hang in there, the acrimony may end in November. Maybe.
As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at rmort@wyomingnewspapersinc.com or by phone at 307-532-2184.
